Crape myrtle

bwaynef

I posted a crape myrtle that I've been working on for a few years last fall along with a couple of other trees. The crape clearly got the most attention out of the 3 posted.

During the spring I thought I'd lost this crape myrtle. Last fall right before the "cold" of our SC winter I let the tree get a little too dry. It dropped every leaf on the tree but proceeded to put out super tiny leaves all over again. Then frost came and the tender leaves were burned. Stubbornly, it pushed new leaves again. In the span of 2 weeks it'd lost 3 sets of leaves, so going into dormancy it was severely stressed.

Most of the east coast had a mildish winter but a late cold snap earlier in the year. Most trees had already pushed leaves, and my azaleas were blooming. My landscape crapes all had been leafed out. They lost their leaves in the cold snap and have had new leaves for a couple of months.

This crape sat perfectly silent all winter and into spring. There was still a hint of green hidden right below the paper thin bark so I was hopeful that all wasn't lost, but I was worried as May approached that this tree was not going to do anything. I knew that if I was patient enough that the tree would reward me with leaves but I was starting to doubt that.

Finally about 2½ weeks ago I noticed 2 leaves on a branch. It lives!!!!

Attached Images

Crape-5-07.jpg (18.2 KB, 153 views)

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© 2004 - present bwaynef

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malik

IT"S ALIVE IT"S ALIVE!!!!!

I'm glad to see that it lives. I hope there was no die back in any branches though. Crepe's are tough and you have an example of your own now. Plus...myrtles are late bloomers. Mine didn't leaf out until about May. They seem to take there sweet time.

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"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it" -Winston Churchill

bwaynef

I'll go ahead and clarify, theres not a lot of difference between this picture and the last I'd posted of it. I repotted it a lot more upright this spring but after an unfortunate accident that exposed the roots to 85ºF+ temps for an unknown amount of time, I hurriedly repotted it into what would later be realized as nearly the same angle it was potted last fall.

I'm positive there will be dieback on the tree, ...as there has been every year I've had it. I did baby it a little more this winter than previous winters, but after the abuse it suffered in the fall theres certainly going to be dieback.

I'm torn as to how to proceed with it this year. I'll probably just fertilize heavily and treat it as though nothing happened once the tree is in full-leaf. I'd considered letting it grow pretty much unchecked this year but the requisite chops might make for some unfortunate scars in the short term.

I want to develop some more dimensionality to this one as its back branching is less than ideal. (Front branching isn't really a problem though.)

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© 2004 - present bwaynef

Koi_Gal

Glad to hear it made it! Crepe's are one of my favorite trees. Around here they take their sweet time to wake up. I've noticed that "wake-up" time depends on their variety and color. My purple landscape ones are always the last to leaf out and they just woke up about two weeks ago, while my whites have been leafed out for two months!

malik

Wayne...do you keep your myrtle in full sun or indirect sunlight?

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"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it" -Winston Churchill

mike108

They are late to bud mine suffered abit of die back this year but it cameback. How is yours doing Malik?

malik

Hey Mike, mine are doing well now. They are in full leaf and looking good. The only problem I am facing is that I moved to an apartment with no direct sunlight on the balcony! I am not sure if my myrtles can survive without direct sun and only bright indirect light so I am a bit concerned.

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"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it" -Winston Churchill

bwaynef

I've decided that I don't want trees that don't thrive under the conditions that I'm able to provide them. That being the case, this crape myrtle sits on my bench in direct sunlight almost the entire day. (After 6 or 6:30pm the sunlight is blocked by a nearby fence.) It seems to relish the light as well as the heat of summer. Most of the amazing crape myrtles I've seen in the landscape are in equally exposed locations as well.

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© 2004 - present bwaynef